Assessing the cooling potential of (modified) ground coverage on the drinking water temperature

This research addresses the issue of rising soil temperatures, driven by climate change. As the Drinking Water Distribution System (DWDS) is located in the sub-surface, the drinking water temperature in the distribution mains attains this rising soil temperature. Because the temperature of drinking water is an important determinant of water...

Effects of cold recovery technology on the microbial drinking water quality in unchlorinated distribution systems

Drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) are used to supply hygienically safe and biologically stable water for human consumption. The potential of thermal energy recovery from drinking water has been explored recently to provide cooling for buildings. Yet, the effects of increased water temperature induced by this “cold recovery” on the...

Risk governance of potential emerging risks to drinking water quality: Analysing current practices

The presence of emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment may affect human health via exposure to drinking water. And, even if some of these emerging contaminants are not a threat to human health, their presence might still influence the public perception of drinking water quality. Over the last decades, much research has been done on...

An interdisciplinary political ecology of drinking water quality. Exploring socio-ecological inequalities in Lilongwe's water supply network

Urban political ecology attempts to unravel and politicize the socio-ecological processes that produce uneven waterscapes. At the core of this analysis are the choreographies of power that influence how much water flows through urban infrastructure as well as where it flows, thereby shaping conditions and quality of access in cities. If these...